Hi all,
Just reaching out as last month I was diagnosed as having a BRAO in my left eye, leaving me with me partial sight loss on the bottom of my eye. I had an MRI, cartoid doppler, all came back fine, had bloods and found my chloestrol to be slightly high at 7.1. I’m 43 with no other health conditions. The doctor that performed the doppler said my arteries, flow were not narrowed, no evidenceof plaque, completely healthy etc. All my other bloods came back healthy/normal as well. The doctor who did the doppler mentioned whether I was booked in for a echocardiogram, so my question is, do you think I should pursue this test, as I’m not convinced that high cholesterol caused the BRAO. I have normal blood pressure as well, as this was tested. I have been put on statins.
Thanks for reading 
4 Likes
Me too, bottom half of right eye. I don’t think you’re in any immediate danger, but if the echocardiogram shows a PFO, some cardiologists might recommend closure, especially if you’ve had a major event like this with vision loss. That discussion depends on the size of the PFO and whether there’s evidence of other embolic events. Do pursue the echocardiogram with bubble study. Good luck, Roland
4 Likes
Hello @Sarahb19 - this is just a hello and welcome to the forum. I am unable to offer any advice based on personal experience of this condition, however, as this could potentially be serious, if this was up to me then I definitely would take the test as there is nothing to lose and everything to gain.
That said, if you are happy not to take the test then that is perfectly fine. We are all allowed to choose which path we wish to follow.
Wishing you all the best.
Namaste|
3 Likes
Hi @Sarahb19 & welcome to the community. Sorry to hear of your stroke. I hope you are doing ok.
If it was me I would pursue the echocardiogram. It will rule a PFO in or out & give you reassurance that all is ok.
Sometimes there is no obvious cause for a stroke but at least you’ll know you’ve been thoroughly checked over.
3 Likes
Hi @Sarahb19,
Welcome to the community, and sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis. It’s understandable to have questions after something like this, especially when you’ve had lots of tests and things still don’t feel completely clear.
I can see you’ve already had some helpful replies from other members. If it helps, we have information on the effects of stroke, and may also want to take a look at our different support options on our Support hub.
You can also contact our Stroke Support Helpline on 0303 3033 100 if you’d like to talk things through or ask any questions.
1 Like